1%er
Well-Known Member
That's 2am for me
F1 2024
- Thread starter spitfire
- Start date
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Really
My cunning plan worked!
The commentators curse works for us muggles as well.
Very pleased for Carlos, I like him.
George WTF. Keep a fucking lid on it son.
Yay McLaren!
Ax^
Silly Rabbit
I wonder if Fred Vasseur has Hammy's contract in one hand and a bottle of Tippex in the other...
more than likely his phone ringing newhey in the other hand
odd that Lewis who noped out of his contract when seeing the new car this year is getting stick about it
Saints to merc would make a nice pair with Russel like he did with nando
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
She done OK, we knew she would be up against the best in the country for the first time and weren't expecting anything but last place in her 3 motos per day. (Each moto is about 40 seconds, 21 riders, she had to get at least 5th/6th to get to last 16 for A or B finals (8 riders in each). It's fucking confusing tbh.
She started the weekend struggling to keep up but ended it battling with kids that have practiced/raced there before so overall a positive, and she had a lot of fun. Threw away her only possible 6th place by fucking grandstanding a wheelie! FFS. lol.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Daniel Ricciardo given two-race “ultimatum” with Liam Lawson lined up for Miami
Daniel Ricciardo has two races to turn his F1 season around or could risk being replaced by Liam Lawson for the Miami Grand Prix. According to the New Zealand Herald, Ricciardo has been issued an “ultimatum” by Red Bull’s Helmut Marko after a poor start to the 2024 F1 season. Ricciardo has been comprehensively beaten by teammate Yuki Tsunoda in the first three races - and is reportedly fighting for his future. The Australian had high hopes going into 2024, eyeing a return to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen. However, things simply haven’t worked out for Ricciardo so far this year. Ricciardo has been slower than Tsunoda in all three races, with the deficit fairly substantial in Saudi Arabia and Australia.RB have Lawson waiting in the wings, who impressed during his brief F1 stint when he stepped in for Ricciardo during the middle of last year. According to the same report, Lawson is viewed by Red Bull as Sergio Perez’s successor - not Tsunoda or Ricciardo. Ricciardo has two races - Japan and China - to save his career. It would be a remarkable turn of events if Ricciardo is replaced after just five races, particularly as Nyck de Vries lasted 10 in 2023.
Ricciardo v Tsunoda in 2024
Qualifying: 0-3
Race: 1-2
Points: 0-6
After Sunday’s race at Albert Park, Ricciardo admitted that he didn’t expect to struggle in 2024. “I didn't expect to start the season like this,” he said. “Budapest last year, I drove the car a day before and then out-qualified Yuki and had a really strong race with no knowledge. Then having a full pre-season [this year] and all the races last year, I honestly thought that this year, we would start a lot stronger. I understand, not only me, but a few people are wondering why. The important thing is that I stay on course, not that my head is filled with nonsense or anything. I honestly feel good and just, unfortunately, the results haven't made me feel awesome. But deep down behind the wheel, I feel good.”
1%er
Well-Known Member
‘He knew what he was doing’ – ex-F1 driver weighs in on Fernando Alonso’s Aus GP penalty
Penalised in Australia for “potentially dangerous” driving, former F1 driver Timo Glock believes Fernando Alonso knew what he was doing and used a “grey area to gain an advantage”. Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix ended under a Virtual Safety Car when Russell crashed on the penultimate lap, with his Mercedes W15 coming to a stop in the middle of the track on its side.‘Alonso’s idea was to catch Russell off guard’
Shortly after the podium celebrations died down, news broke that Alonso and Russell had been summoned to see the stewards, that relating to their late-race battle and Russell’s subsequent crash. Chasing Alonso for sixth place, Russell closed up on the Aston Martin into Turn 6 but was caught out as Alonso braked 100 metres earlier than he had done in previous laps. The sudden and unexpected loss of downforce saw Russell lose control and crash heavily. The Spaniard told the stewards that he “intended to approach Turn 6 differently”, lifting earlier in order to get a better exit, but that he “got it slightly wrong and had to take extra steps to get back up to speed”.
They ruled that “with whatever intent” Alonso had driven in a manner that was at the very least “potentially dangerous” and hit him with a 20-second post-race penalty and three penalty points. Glock believes the double World Champion, a veteran of 380 Grands Prix, knew what he was “doing”. “Alonso brakes very early and allows Russell to catch up,” the former F1 driver told Sky Deutschland. “Alonso’s idea was to catch Russell off guard, slow him down, and then accelerate early to open a gap. It was so extreme that Russell didn’t expect it at all. He got way too close and lost downforce. Alonso extends his elbows and uses the grey area to gain an advantage. He already knows what he’s doing with his experience.”
Stewards punished ‘Alonso’s actions’, not Russell’s ‘reaction’
Meanwhile, former Aston Martin race strategist Bernie Collins has questioned Alonso’s explanation for his early braking. Declaring the Spaniard had taken a “very different approach” into Turn 6 than he had at any other point of the race, she reckons braking 100 metres before the usual point was extreme. There was a lift 100 metres earlier, a slight brake application as well, and a downshift. So, 100 metres difference into a corner is pretty huge in F1 terms,” she said on X. “We’d be telling drivers 10-metre differences if there was anything across drivers that they’d be trying to improve on, so 100 metres is a big, big difference in terms of an approach to a corner which obviously caught Russell off-guard. Russell himself saying that maybe he could have reacted slightly better to it, but the result still remains where Russell is out. We obviously don’t have all the data that the FIA have. They’ve been very clear that they punished Alonso’s actions rather than the subsequent reaction of Russell.”
Alonso dropped to eighth in the official classification as a result of the penalty.
Buddy Bradley
Pantheistic solipsist
1%er
Well-Known Member
F1 owners Liberty Media close to buying MotoGP in eye-watering £3.5bn deal
Formula 1 owner Liberty Media is closing in on an eye-watering £3.5bn deal to buy MotoGP's parent company. Liberty is in exclusive talks with Dorna Sports over the potential purchase, reports the Financial Times. However, any deal that is struck is likely to face regulatory scrutiny due to European Union competition rules. Owning both F1 and MotoGP, the world's premiere single-seater and motorbike motorsport categories respectively, could run the risk of violating those regulations. Previous F1 owner CVC Capital Partners was once also in charge of MotoGP, but was forced to sell off the latter in 2006.CVC sold F1's commercial rights to Liberty Media in 2017 in a deal worth around £6.5bn. Now, they are looking to reunite the two categories with a deal to buy several motorcycle racing series through their potential purchase of Dorna. Alongside MotoGP, the Madrid-based firm promotes the Superbike World Championship, the all-electric MotoE series and several other junior categories. It organises around 250 races per year across them all. Liberty has reportedly seen off all its competition to be the last potential buyer standing. Qatar Sports Investments, which owns French football giants Paris Saint-Germain, was one of the parties that held talks, as did TKO Holdings, which runs the WWE and UFC fighting sports championships.
But competition lawyer James Killick told the FT that he would be "very surprised" if regulators did not closely scrutinise any deal that is struck for Liberty to purchase Dorna. "The question is, has the market changed [since CVC owned both championships]?" he questioned. F1 was haemorrhaging money before Liberty bought the commercial rights, but has become a financial powerhouse since. Its global popularity has enjoyed a huge boost, thanks in no small part to the success of the Netflix Drive to Survive series, and the sport now has an estimated one billion fans worldwide.
The increased interest in the series has given F1 the opportunity to charge much more for broadcast rights and fees from race organisers which are paid annually for the privilege of hosting an event. Those income streams, along with sponsorship and merchandising, are key sources of revenue. MotoGP operates with a similar business model but has not managed to achieve the same level of success. Its own docu-drama series, MotoGP Unlimited, which streams on Amazon Prime Video, has not had the same effect in terms of capturing the attention of a huge new audience.
Indeliblelink
\......👁&👁......./
Japanese driver Ayumu Iwasa will make his F1 debut when he drives Daniel Ricciardo's RB car in Free Practice 1 session.
Not great news for Daniel I guess, with the pressure he's under you'd think he'd want as much time on track as possible.
www.formula1.com
Not great news for Daniel I guess, with the pressure he's under you'd think he'd want as much time on track as possible.
Rising star to make F1 weekend debut at Suzuka
RB have announced that Super Formula racer Ayumu Iwasa will make his Formula 1 weekend debut at the Japanese Grand Prix by appearing in free practice with the team.
www.formula1.com
Indeliblelink
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Verstappen's chief mechanic, Lee Stevenson, is leaving Red Bull after 18 years and going to another team at the "other end of the pit lane" starting there for the Japanese GP.
www.gpblog.com
Adversity for Verstappen and Red Bull: chief mechanic leaves immediately
Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen are saying goodbye to Lee Stevenson. The chief mechanic has decided to seek refuge elsewhere after 18 years. Stevenson moves to 'the other side of the pit lane'
www.gpblog.com
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1%er
Well-Known Member
Rival’s ‘big money contract offer’ to poach legendary figure that could shake up F1
One of the most influential figures within the Formula 1 paddock could be on the brink of igniting a contract war. Red Bull Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey has constantly drawn attention from rival teams, but now one has reportedly made a “big money contract offer” to lure him away.Aston Martin’s chief Lawrence Stroll is attempting to cash in on the ongoing Red Bull turmoil and reportedly tabled a gargantuan offer to the 65-year-old mastermind during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The offer, reported by autosport.com, comes after Stroll splashed the cash on new sate-of-the-art headquarters with a new wind tunnel also said to be on the way.
Newey is on course to claim his 13th constructors’ title this season in the latest feat of a legendary career that has seen him design victorious cars at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. Luring him away from Red Bull would be a big blow to the dominant Formula 1 outfit and could lead to even further pain.
Three-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen has found himself in the thick of the rumour mill with reports he could be set for a seat switch. Verstappen threw a cat among the pigeons when he raised the possibility he could leave Red Bull if veteran adviser Helmut Marko was forced out of the team. “There is a lot of talk about a deal being very close to being brokered between Max and Mercedes,” former F1 driver Johnny Herbert told reporters. “Now if that actually materialises, is it a power play? Is it part of the pressure being put on Red Bull and Christian? There’s got to be a point where it’s ‘What is best for us? We cannot lose him (Verstappen)’. “He is such a big and important part of now our journey to the (F1 regulation) changes in 2026.”
Despite being contracted through until 2028, a bombshell clause in Verstappen’s contract came to light which showed the 26-year-old could leave the team if Marko is gone. While Red Bull dominated the first two races of the 2024 season, the off-track scrutiny of team principal Christian Horner has never been more intense. It appears increasingly possible Red Bull could lose Verstappen, Newey and Marko if they choose to keep Horner.
“If Christian is fighting this which he seems to be doing, he might force their main star out of the team,” Herbert said. “It seems to be the wrong way of going about it. You want to keep what you’ve got. You want to keep Adrian and you want to keep Max. To try and arrogantly stay put, you’re going to force your main man out of the team. That just seems to be the wrong thing to do from team perspective. That’s the Christian side of it where he’s fighting to stay where he is. And Helmut’s in the same position. But it seems the pressure is more on Helmut to get pushed out of the team and Max would go with him, potentially. If you look at it in a logical way, do you want to lose Max? No.”
Limejuice
Well-Known Member
Well, bless my bonny, silk kimono, it's another F1 weekend.
The middle of 3 far-east races, assuming Australia counts as 'far-east'. I group them as 'races that start at pain-in-the-arse o'clock'.
Anyhoo, Japan. These are the UK telly times (the UK is now BST):
Fri 5 Apr
FP1 - 03:30 (02:30 UTC)
FP2 - 07:00 (06:00 UTC)
Sat 6 Apr
FP3 - -03:30 (02:30 UTC)
Qual - 07:00 (06:00 UTC)
Sun 7 Apr
Race - 06:00 (05:00 UTC)
Wonder if I can get any sushi for snacks..?
Probably a bit early for sushi, tbh.
The middle of 3 far-east races, assuming Australia counts as 'far-east'. I group them as 'races that start at pain-in-the-arse o'clock'.
Anyhoo, Japan. These are the UK telly times (the UK is now BST):
Fri 5 Apr
FP1 - 03:30 (02:30 UTC)
FP2 - 07:00 (06:00 UTC)
Sat 6 Apr
FP3 - -03:30 (02:30 UTC)
Qual - 07:00 (06:00 UTC)
Sun 7 Apr
Race - 06:00 (05:00 UTC)
Wonder if I can get any sushi for snacks..?
Probably a bit early for sushi, tbh.
1%er
Well-Known Member
Formula One owner Liberty snaps up MotoGP in £3bn Dorna deal
Formula One owner Liberty Media will takeover the motorcycle racing league MotoGP, as part of €3.5bn (£3bn) deal to buy its exclusive rights holder and parent company Dorna, it has been announced. The agreement will see Dorna Sports remain an independently run company. Liberty will acquire an 86 per cent stake in the firm, with Dorna management retaining around 14 per cent of their equity in the business. The deal represents an enterprise value of €4.2bn (£3.5bn) and an equity value of €3.5bn, according to a statement issued by Liberty Media.It represents a big return for the London-based investment group Bridgepoint, which has been an investor in MotoGP since 2006. The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) will also sell off its share of the business in the deal. “We are thrilled to expand our portfolio of leading live sports and entertainment assets with the acquisition of MotoGP,” Greg Maffei, president and chief executive, said. “Carmelo and his management team have built a great sporting spectacle that we can expand to a wider global audience. The business has significant upside, and we intend to grow the sport for MotoGP fans, teams, commercial partners and our shareholders.”
Speculation over the deal, which is one of the most significant in the motorsport industry in years, had grown in recent weeks. Sky News first reported Liberty was in talks to buy Dorna for €4bn in early March. Carmelo Ezpeleta, chief executive of Dorna, said the transaction was a “testament to the value of the sport today and its growth potential. Liberty Media has an incredible track record in developing sports assets and we could not wish for a better partner to expand MotoGP’s fanbase around the world.
The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of 2024 and is subject to clearance by competition and legal authorities in various jurisdictions. It could prompt some scrutiny from European regulators. CVC Capital Partners, who sold F1 to Liberty in 2016 for £6.3bn, had received clearance from the European Commission to buy it in 2006, on condition Dorna was sold. William Jackson, chairman of Bridgepoint Group plc and of Dorna Sports S.L. said: “We’re proud to have partnered with Dorna and its management team for the past 18 years during which time Moto GP has become one of the true global sports brands and enjoys huge success.”
Buddy Bradley
Pantheistic solipsist
Streams seem to be a little less reliable than previous weeks for some reason.
Buddy Bradley
Pantheistic solipsist
"Daniel Ricciardo needs to have a really good raaand he's out of the race."
